claimed Samboja Lestari was possibly "the finest example of ecological and economic restoration in the tropics". Criticism The costs of the Samboja Lestari project in 2020 were reported at approximately $1.05 million, including all activities from reforestation and fire prevention to orangutan rehabilitation and sanctuary. This operating cost is higher than the cost of protecting existing rainforest per hectare; for comparison, the Nature Conservancy together with the Indonesian government in partnerships with timber companies have been able to protect more forest and orangutans at a fraction of the cost in the same period. Erik Meijaard, conservation scientist and ecologist at the Nature Conservancy who once worked for Smits, says that it remains unclear whether Samboja Lestari is a good idea, and that the success will ultimately depend on the extent to which it can improve community livelihoods and achieve long-term financial stability and sustainability: "that question remains unanswered, and will remain so for a few years, because that is the kind of time such projects need to be evaluated". See also Borneo Orangutan Survival Willie Smits Notes References Balikpapan Nature conservation in Indonesia Borneo Animal reintroduction Primate sanctuaries Orangutan conservation Protected areas of Indonesia Geography of East Kalimantan Animal welfare organizations based in Indonesia